Engine-controlling apparatus.



A. ESPLEN.

ENGINE CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D, c.

NT STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER ESPLEN, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

ENGINE-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER EsrLnN, asubject of the King of England, residing at Liverpool, in the county ofLancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEngine-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to controlling the operation of powerengines, such as the propelling engines of steamships, by or through thetelegraphic apparatus, or a similar apparatus extending between theplace of command of the ship, on which the transmitting or actuatinginstrument is placed,andthe englne room; and 1t has for its ob ect toprovide improvements, hereinafter described in connection with thestarting of the engines in opposite directions either ahead or astern,and stopping them, and of obtaining direct control from the bridge orlike part of the ship, of the action of the engines, and also ofcontrolling their speed.

Assuming the invention is to be applied to, and used in connection withthe engine room of a telegraph worked from the bridge, there is used inthe engine room and in some cases in the receiver instrument, a partwhich operates a valve controlling the operation of the piston of acylinder or like means connected with, and for operating a throttle orlike valve, say the ordinary throttle valve; and this device is adaptedto come into operation at some point between the slow and stop positionsof the telegraph receiver, so that after the receiver pointer is in thisregion, the steam or power to the engines or motor is automatically cutoff, or closed, so that the engines will be stopped. Then, if thetelegraph and apparatus be moved farther in the same direction, namely,toward the slow position, for starting the engines in the oppositedirections, a valve is operated so as to move or actuate-say through apilot cylinder and piston-the controlling means of an engine reversinggear (generally comprising a steam or other prime power cylinder, and ahydraulic controlling cylinder), and connected up with the engine valvelinks. or reversing gear of the engine; so that this reversing gear ismoved over, say to the fullest position; and

soon after this, by the further movement of" the telegraph apparatus, avalve is'operated.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 25, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914. Serial No. 802,892.

byit, or a part connected with it, by which the throttle valve actuatingcylinder or its valve, will be so operated as to open the throttle,so-that this throttle valve will be opened by the time the orderpointer, or the like, has arrived at the slow position. These actionsare arranged to take place in both directions, that is, when thetelegraph is moved from ahead to astern, and conversely fro-1n astern toahead; and the throttle valve is closed without reversing the engines ifthe telegraph is moved only to the stop positions.

The invention will be further described in connection with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate it.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating theapplication of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing apart of the apparatus comprising the controlling valve operated from thetransmitting or operating mechanism.

The apparatus shown in the figures illustrates a case where theoperating instrument from the bridge or other place of command may beassumed to be the ships telegraph instrument for transmitting orders orcommunications to the engine room, and where this apparatus operates areceiving instrument in the engine room; and also a part of theapparatus for operating the valve which governs the action of thethrottle or like valve operating means, and also the engine reversinggear.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the transmitting instrumentworked by the commander of the ship, say from the bridge; and 2represents the communicating chains or connections, through which motionisv transmitted from the transmitter to the receiving instrument 3 inthe engine room, and also to the controlling valvular apparatus; which,in the case illustrated is shown separate from the receiver; thevalvular apparatus being connected up to the communicating or motiontransmission chains or means 2 by chains or connections 4.

5 represents a power cylinder, the action of which is controlled by thisapparatus, and is connected with and operates the throttle or othervalve, controlling supply of steam or power to the main engine; and 6represents a power cylinder controlled by this valvular apparatus, foroperating the reversing engine 7, which actuates the reversing gear ofthe main engine, which may be assumed to be of any well known kindoperating upon a Stephenson link motion.

The controlling valve operated from the transmitter 1, in the caseshown, consists of a plug valve 10, the plug valve of which hasconnected with it a spindle 11, on which are fixed chain wheels 12 overwhich the chains or connections 1 are passed, and by which they arerevolved; so that the plug is turned one way or the other according tothe direction of movement and actuation of the transmitter 1 and chains1; and this valve has a pipe 13 connected with it, which is connected upto the source of power, say the condenser of the steam engine with whichit is connected, and also two pipes 14, one leading to one end of thethrottle valve actuating cylinder 5, and the other to the other end. Theports of this valve 10 will be so arranged and formed that the pipe 13connected with the condenser will be put in communication with one orother of the pipes 1 1, and so with one or other of the ends of thecylinder 5, slightly before the pointer or indicator of the telegraphcomes to the stop position 16 (Fig. 1) the position referred to, in thecase shown is marked 17, and represents a stand-by position, one ofwhich is provided on each side of the stop position. The nexttelegraphic position and order on either side of these two stand-bypositions, is the slow position. Thus by the ports and passages of thevalve 10 being so arranged as to operate the cylinder 5, when thetelegraph apparatus has been moved to about the positions specified, theefieet is that the throttle valve will be closed when the telegraphreaches a stand-by position, and before the telegraph enters the stopposition, indicated on the telegraph dial; while when the telegraphindicators or pointers move so as to pass from the stand-by position tothe slow position, the ports and passages are so arranged that thepiston of the throttle valve actuating cyllinder 5, Will be moved so asto open the throttle valve; and these actions take place when thetelegraph pointers or indicators are moving into and out of thesepositions in either of the ahead field of orders, or the astern field.

The cylinder 6 and its piston, which con trol and efiect the action ofthe reversing gear cylinder and piston or engine 7 is actuated by amechanical mechanism consisting of an arm or tappet 20, fixed on thespindle 11 which actuates the valve 10, and operates upon a double armedor yoked lever 21, pivoted at 22, and operating through a rod 23, avalve 2 1; this valve being a species say of piston or slide valve,having pipes 25 connected with its opposite ends,

and with the opposite ends of the cylinder 6; and a pipe 26 connected upwith the pipe 13, which leads to the condenser. The valve is so arrangedthat as it is moved either in one direction or the other, it will,through the pipes 25, put one or the other end of the cylinder (3 inconmiunication with the condenser.

The arm 20 (or projection or pin on it) is adapted to actuate the lever21, and so the valve 2 and piston of the cylinder (3, when the telegraphis moved from the stop position into the stand-by field, and just priorto the throttle valve cylinder 5 being actuated; and it is only movedwhen the telegraph moves from the stop position, i. c. not when it ismoved into it. For instance, assuming the telegraph is at the stopposition, and the lever 21 is in the position shown, having been movedover to the left hand sidewhich say is the ahead direction, and that thetelegraph is then moved in the ahead direction. The reversing gear beingin the ahca d position, will not be affected; that is, the lever 21 willnot be actuated when the telegraphic apparatus is moved. But, asaforesaid, the throttle valve actuating cylinder 5 will be actuated whenthe telegraph moves from the standby position to the slow position andwill remain in this position when the telegraph is in the fields of allthe rest of the orders, such as half speed and full speed.

Assuming, however, instead of the engine being moved in the aheadposition, the telegraph were moved to the astern field of orders; then,in this case, the arm 20 would strike the right hand arm of the lever 21before the throttle valve cylinder 5 was actuated by the controllingvalve 10; and it will reverse this lever 21, and the valve 24, and movethe piston of the cylinder 6 so as to actuate the reversing gear 7 andmove it to the opposite direction to that in which it formerly stood;and the c0nditions for running the main engines would thus be reversed;and immediately afterward, the throttle valve 5 would be operated andopened by the valve 10, in the manner above described.

In the case shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, the operating cylinder 6 of thereversing gear actuates the valve for controlling the supply of powerapplied to and from the actual reversing cylinder 7 through the lever 8,the rod, of distributing valve of the cylinder 7 being marked 9. In thecase shown, the actions specified are directly accomplished from thebridge by the commander or person in charge of the ship, both theactions specified, as well as that of the telegraph receiver beingactuated from one transmitter 1; but in other cases, the transmitter orcontrolling instrument for ellecting the actions of the throttle valve,and reversing gear, may be entirely separate from those for operatingthe telegraph receiving instrument.

In the case just described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the throttlevalve will be fully open for the whole part of the movement of thetelegraph beyond the slow position to the full speed position in eachdirection; but in another and modified arrangement and method of workinghereunder, the throttle valve will be opened only a certain amount, whenthe telegraph reaches the slow position; a further amount when itreaches half speed position; and a full amount when it reaches the fullspeed position. That is to say, in this case, the throttle valve or thereversing gear will be moved a certain and limited amount for eachorder, so that the engines shall run at the required difi'erent speeds,corresponding with the orders and as required.

The parts or mechanisms used for operating the throttle valve andreversing gear, will have connected with them, a step by step gear ormechanism, so arranged and adapted, and controlled by the telegraph (oran equivalent mechanism) operated from the bridge or place of command,that these parts or mechanisms for operating the throttle or reversinggears will be operated for a limited amount, according to the order orposition the telegraph or equivalent mechanism is moved to. V

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the

" throttle valve actuating cylinder and piston or its equivalent, isassumed to be operated by a vacuum, obtained by connecting it up withthe condenser of the steam engine, in the case of the invention beingapplied to steam power.

I am aware that mechanism for controlling the action of engines ormotors from a bridge or other place of command of a ship or the like hasbeen hitherto proposed, and I make no general claim for same; but whatis claimed as novel in respect of this invention, are thecharacteristics as a whole, specified in the respective claiming clauseconcluding the specification.

What is claimed is An apparatus for controlling the operation of enginescomprising in combination a throttle-control valve, a gearing-controlvalve provided with a rocking arm for actuating same, a rotatablespindle, a main valve suitablyconnected with said throttle-control valveand adapted to be operated by said spindle, a swinging lever carried onsaid spindle and adapted to cooperate with the rocking arm of saidgearing-control valve, and means for rotating said spindle whereby whenit is moved in one direction the swinging lever cont-acts with saidrocking arm to actuate said gearing-control valve and when further movedin the same direction the main valve is operated to actuate saidthrottle-control valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER ESPLEN.

Witnesses:

SoMERvILLn GooDALL, EDWARD HUGHES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

